Some of the U.K.’s top MMA promotions – Cage Warriors, BAMMA and UCMMA – have united for a new fighter-safety initiative.

The Centre of Health and Human Performance in London has launched SAFE MMA, a nonprofit organization established to improve the safety of MMA fighters in the U.K.

Chief among the organization’s plans is a centralized and confidential database for fighter medical records.

SAFE MMA, which officially launches Jan. 1, also will provide affordable, standardized blood and medical tests for all registered fighters, as well as advice from leading world experts in sports medicine, according to today’s announcement.

A fighter’s annual registration fee is £235 (about $379), which includes a medical and blood tests. New MMA promotions will pay £600 ($968), and fees for gyms run from £60 to £240 ($97 to $387). The fees will be used to cover the costs to run the nonprofit organization.

Founding promotions Cage Warriors, BAMMA and UCMMA will only use fighters who are part of the initiative and who are cleared to compete, according to the database.

“This initiative is a huge step in the right direction for MMA in the U.K.,” Cage Warriors’ director Graham Boylan stated. “The sport in this country is still in its infancy to an extent, so we at Cage Warriors welcome the introduction of SAFE MMA, and we’re very pleased to be involved.”

SAFE MMA is run on a voluntary basis with sports-medicine professionals. Veteran MMA fighter Rosi Sexton and referee Marc Goddard will serve as advisors. Cage Warriors commentator John Gooden and BAMMA PR head Izzy Carnwath also have pledged their help in supporting roles. Additionally, SAFE MMA will work closely with the newly formed UK MMA Federation.

In an effort to fight initiatives to ban MMA in the U.K., the SAFE MMA project will collate anonymous statistics for medical research into fighter safety, injuries, rehabilitation and performance. According to today’s release, if a severe accident or fatality occurs and a promotion falls under investigation, statistical backup via the SAFE MMA database can be drawn on, appropriate safety measures can be shown to be in place, and medical expert opinion can be sought.

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